The Seven Shires Way - Stages 23 & 24

Little Faringdon to Eastleach Martin and then onto Great Barrington -  Friday 8 May and Friday 5 June 2015

It is now Spring 2015 and to ease ourselves back into trekking all the way to west Oxfordshire we decided to wait until the clocks had gone forward (British Summer Time, GMT +1). In the meantime we did a short walk from Oxford station to Besslesleigh on 20 March – though more of that in another post.

Back in the Cotswolds

So here we were again on 8 May in Oxford waiting for the S2 bus to whisk us to Carterton and then to Little Faringdon by taxi. Weather didn't look too good and it was due to rain by 1pm. We arrived in Carterton and then discovered we didn't have any taxi numbers. No worries, here is the Library. Ah the door is locked but the lights are on, has a new Government policy been implemented already? (The 2015 general election had been held the day before). However, just as we turned away a library lady appeared from inside and unlocked the door. Several minutes were then taken in trying to find taxi numbers but to no avail. “Let's try down the road at the Coop Travel Agency” – success, they even ordered the taxi for us and before long we were zooming along on the way to the start of the walk just outside Little Faringdon.

Southrop - Water management

We actually got started around 10:45 and followed the course of the River Leach along a not too well-trodden path and eventually emerged onto a minor road to Southrop (pronounced “Sowrup”). Stopped for a coffee and first sandwich of the day on a bridge over the river and admired the natural-looking garden and water management of the adjacent properties, Grid ref: SP2032 0351.

Leach valley

We were now getting into the Cotswolds, with that warm oolitic limestone and mixture of thatched, Stonesfield-slated and welsh-tiled roofs. Conversations turned to updating each other on family news, the weather, old and present work connections and inevitably to the election result. “Don't mention the E word”. OK we agreed to avoid any discussion about the result though we had to remind ourselves several times during the day of that agreement. 

 

We now turned north out of the village across a traditional stone stile and headed across pasture fields towards the Eastleach villages (Eastleach Turville and Eastleach Martin). The surrounding land was gently rising and we were starting to ,get those traditional views of the Cotswolds.

By the time we reached the villages it was just after midday and guess what  the pub, “The Victoria” in Eastleach Turville, was open, (SP1983 0527). It makes a change to actually find a village pub that is open. “Look chaps,” said P, “it's likely to start raining soon”. So we agreed to have a quick pint and then head off in the Burford direction. Well one pint lead onto another, lunching-customers come and went and before long, and after a few beers and a whisky, we  decided it was time to go. On reflection we rated the pub 8 out of 10, mainly for the ambiance, being open and generally for being not too fussy.

The Victoria, Eastleach Turville

“Do you realise it's 14:45?” OK, rethink. “Let's walk down into Eastleach Martin and phone for a taxi to Carterton.” The rain hadn't materialized to any great effect!

Lovely stone clapper bridge over the river down to E. Martin church, (SP2023 0522). No mobile signal, so back up the hil to the pub (which had now closed) by another route to get some sort of signal and a phone call to Ace taxis!

Eastleach Turville

Had to wait for 40 minutes as it was now school run time. The taxi eventually found us and took us back to Carterton were we could catch an express S2 bus back to Oxford via north Oxford (good for N).

Oh dear not the most impressive of walks in distance terms, in fact Little Faringdon to Eastleach was 4.3 miles – our shortest leg so far! Let's call it the E-Day, the E result that must not be spoken about, the E villages and an Easy walk!

Clapper bridge, River Leach

We agreed that we would combine our record of this very short walk on 8 May with the next one on 5 June. Back to Carterton on the S2 and this time we had the number of Ace Taxis so a speedy journey to Eastleach Martin and off again at 10:25. The weather was kind, warm, not much cloud and likely to be the warmest day of the year so far. Luckily there was a breeze which made walking in the sun tolerable.

The scenery improved as we moved up the meandering valley of the Leach following the course of the ever-diminishing river.

Valley-side

About 0.5km before Sheep Bridge the path turned uphill and soon crossed over the course of Akeman Street (SP1999 0730). We were last here when following the Roman Way in June 2011.

Towards Sheep Bridge

Seven Shires crosses Roman Way

Akeman Street was the “main road” from London (Londinium) to Cirencester (Corinium). The Seven Shires Way last crossed over the same road, in fact the A41 near Ludgershall on 12 July 2013! 

Wild flower meadow

We carried on through bracken and long grass to emerge onto Eastleach Downs and a display of poppies and cornflowers. Time for a mid-morning sandwich listening to Skylarks and the roar of transport aircraft (a Lockheed C130 Hercules and a Lockheed C17 Globemaster) from nearby RAF Brize Norton, doing “circuit and bumps”.

Holwell

Decision time, do we take a short cut and head east towards Holwell or follow the path and county boundary between Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire north for 0.5 km and then double back on ourselves for another 0.5 km past Tom Jollys, (SP2026 0874).

We decided upon the latter and made good progress on this “dog-leg” and then pushed on past Holwell Down Farm towards the small village of Holwell, (SP2323 0913).

 

C17 flyby, Holwell church

Holwell is typical of many of the small villages around here, pretty houses, roses around the front doors, 4X4 vehicles in the gravel drives or parked up on verges, no pubs, no shops, no schools. Peaceful? Yes, apart from the aircraft every two minutes – which seemed to be getter lower with every circuit!

Finished our sandwiches by the church wall and were seemingly “checked out” by one of the residents coming to her garden gate to perhaps make sure that we weren't disturbing the apparent “peace”.

Westwell preaching cross

The route then headed NW towards Westwell, another quiet, even prettier, village, (SP2238 0997). Our trusty guide book informed us that the most westerly spring in Oxforshire feeds the village pond. Took a break on a welcolme bench opposite the remains of a preaching cross. Our sources tell us that Westwell is home to Douglas Hurd, former Foreign Sectretary and MP for Witney. As you all know DC is now the local MP. “ I thought we agreed not to mention the E result”.

Westwell pond

It was now getting warm and we headed NW from Westwell over the B4425 and on towards Little Barrington. The path now followed the d'Arcy Dalton Way (a long distance path from the Oxford canal near Claydon to the Ridgeway at Wayland's Smithy). The farmer had sprayed the crop to mark the line of the footpath which enabled us to trudge, first through a field of winter wheat and then through several fields of rape. Our goal was to reach the hotel and filling station on the A40 and catch a bus back to Oxford. By the time we reached the A40 there was nearly two hours to wait so we decided to walk down the surprisingly busy road into Little Barrington. In our haste to get to the bus stop we had veered from the recommended route which was parallel but 0.5km to the east.

Little Barrington church

On past Little Barrington church and down a lane and over the Windrush river and across the flood plain to Barrington Mill where consdirable development work was taking place. From signs posted on the stiles the path will be diverted around the property in the future – at present it goes right through the garden and past the front door of the old mill. Up a slight incline to Great Barrington (“I thought T said it was all downhill to Great Barrington?”) and, gratefully, to find a bench near the war memorial, (SP2078 1365).

Westwell white horse

A phone call to Ace taxis again, a potential delay of 40 minutes because of school runs but much to our surprise the taxi turned up in 15 minutes and shot us back to Carterton. Why this obsession with Carterton – well the reality is that it is a good hub for buses (two routes to Oxford, local buses to Bampton and Witney and a bus to Swindon). The taxi driver told us that the A40 was closed because of an accident which was going to delay all the buses so time to take stock and replenish the fluids in the nearby Golden Eagle, just across the road from the bus stop, (beer OK, ambiance nothing special, 5 out of 10.)

The buses were delayed and we split, N waited for the S2 and P&T took the first S1 into Oxford via Eynsham. Being the first bus meant it stopped everywhere and filled up. The journey back to Oxford took 80 minutes!

In summary: A more respectable 9.5 miles on 5 June, (Q day - quiet scenery, quaint villages and traffic queues). This makes 13.8 miles in total over these two days. We are now back on track and in sync with the book.